Self-contained anchor setter unit



May 12, 1964 H. G. MILLER 3,132,597

SELF-CONTAINED ANCHOR SETTER UNIT Filed Sept. 14, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 12, 1964 H. G. MILLER 3,132,597

SELF-CONTAINED ANCHOR SETTER UNIT Filed sept; 14, 1959 4 sheets-sheet 2 May l2, 1964 IH. G. MILLER SELF-CONTAINED ANCHOR SETTER UNIT Filed sept. 14, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 12, 1964 H. G. MILLER 3,132,597

SELF-CONTAINED ANCHOR SETTER UNIT Filed sept. 14, 1959y 4 sheets-sheet 4 United States Patent Oli ce 3,132,597 Patented May 12., 1964 This invention relates to a self-contained anchor setter unit and more particularly to a devicefor` displacing ballast from beneath a track rail and facilitating placement of an anchor on the rail base in the space provided.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and "N improved self-contained anchor setter unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a self `contained anchor setter unit having a frame movable along arailroad track to a desired position, means for pushing ballast from under a` rail, means for placing a rail anchor on the rail base and means under the control of` an operator carried` bythe unit for operating the ballast pushing means. i

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor p setter unit as dened in the preceding paragraph which further reduces the requirement for manual labor in setting of` anchors by having a boom and winch construction movably mounted on the frame for facilitating hanpan carried by the frame for easy accessibility by the Aoperator whereby the entire operation of setting an anchor may be carried out by a single operator onithe unit. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the anchor setter unit shown on a railroad track and with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view taken from the left in FIG. 1;

. FIG. 3 is a side elevational View taken from the right in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a hydraulic-mechanical schematic of the operating mechanism for the unit; p p

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail elevational view` of the ballast pusher shown in one limit position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG; 5 showing theballast pusher in another limit position;

FIG. 6A is a detail fragmentary plan view of the `free end of the pusher; i. y

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section` taken generally along the lines 7-7 in FIG. l; p FIG. 8 is a horizontal section of an anchor placement tool taken generally along the line 8.-8 in FIG. 9; FIG. 9 is an elevational View` with parts in section of the anchor placement tool; p A FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of an alternate form of anchor placement tool; FIG. 1l is a fragmentary elevational view of still another form of anchor placement tool shown in anchor releasing position; and

FIG. l2 is a View similar to FIG. ll showing the tool holding an anchor in place on the base of a rail.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope `of the invention will be `pointed out in the appended `dling of bags of rail anchors and theiriplacement on a erally at 61 which drives a pump 62 having an inlet hollow and interconnected to provide an oil reservoir. These frame members are indicated at 20, 21, 22 and 23 with one side of the frame having a pair of similar upright members 24 and 25 interconnected at their upper end by a similar frame member 26. The latter members also serve as part of the oil reservoir and with the upright 24 shown in section in FIG. 2 with oil 27 disposed therein.

The frame has four track engaging wheels 28, 29, 30 and 31 rotatably mounted on the frame with the wheels v28 and .29 engaging a track rail 32 and the wheels 30 and 31 engaging the other track rail 33. Means are provided for propelling the anchor setter unit along the track rails 32 and 33 comprising a liuid motor 34 having an output shaft connected to a shaft 35 which is geared to a circular gear 36 on the wheel 28 whereby rotation of the motor 34 rotates the wheel 28. The connection to the shaft 35 is through a ilexible coupling 37.

The frame at one side thereof supports a ballast pusher 40 which is pivotally mounted on a rod 41 overlying the rail 33 and which is adjustably mounted in one or the other of holes 42 positioned in the frame adjacent opposite ends of the rod `to compensate for somewhat different heights of track rail. The ballast pusher 40 consists of a pair of spaced apart plates 43 and 44 connected by transverse braces 45. The pusher 41 is generally L-shaped with a lower leg 46 upwardly curved and the other leg 47, which is pivotally mounted on the rod 41, of a length sufficient whereby pivoting of the pusher on the shaft 41 carries the lower leg 46 in an arcuate path extending under the rail 33 and to a level above the rail base at opposite sides of the rail. The lower leg 46 as shown in FIG. 6A carries a wear piece 48 with an angled face 49 whereby movement ofthe pusher from the position shown in FIG. 6 to that shown in FIG. 5 causes ballast to be pushed away under a rail to facilitate `subsequent application of an anchor to the rail.

Means for operating the ballast pusher 40 comprises a motor in the form of a hydraulic cylinder 50 pivotally mounted as shown at 51 to a frame member 52 attached `ballast pusher 40.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6 when a rail Aanchor is to be placed on a rail the ballast pusher 40 is initially in the raised position shown in FIG. 6 to permit the frame to travel along the track to a desired position in which the ballast pusher 40 is located immediately to one side of a tie 56 as shown in FIG. 3. The motor 50 is then operated to extend the piston rod 55 which swings the ballast pusher 40 in a path to the position shown in FIG. 5 in which ballast has been pushed away from the -tie 56 and from under the rail. In order to limit the travel of the ballast pusher to the position` shown in FIG. 5 a suitable rubber bumper, as shown at 57, is attached to the pusher 40 and engages the web 33a of the rail with the lower leg 46 of the ballast pusher disposed under the base 33!) of the rail. p l The propelling motor 34 for the 4anchor setter and the motor 50 for the ballast pusher are `under the control of an operator seated on a seat 58 centrally of the frame and in a position to operate a pair of foot pedals 59 and 60.

Power is provided by a gasoline motor indicated genconnection to the oil reservoir provided by the frame. Referring to FIG. 4, the pump 62 has an outlet line 63 with a branch 64 running to a 4-way valve 64 a pair of lline connections 66 and 67 to the ballast pusher motor 50.

The valve 65 also has a connection 68 to tank.

The valve 65 is operated by pedal 59 and has a stem 69 extending outwardly of the valve which is pivotally connected to a lever 70 pivoted intermediate its ends to a bracket 71 on the valve housing. The lever .70 is pivotally connected to a link 72 which is pivotally connected to 4an arm 73 fixed to a shift 74 rotatably mounted in the .frame and rigidly attached to the foot pedal 59. With this construction depression of the foot pedal results in shifting the valve 65 to direct uid through the line 66 to the motor S and move the ballast pusher 49 through a pushing stroke under the track rail. Release of the foot pedal results in its return to initial position to reverse the connections to the cylinder 5t) and raise the ballast pusher.

Another branch of the pump outlet line 63, as indicated at 69 runs to an open center four-way valve 79 with this Vvalve having a pair of lines 71 and 72 running to the motor 34 and a tankline 73 running to the tank. The motor 34 also has a drain line 74 running to tank. The four-way valve 70 has a valve stem 75 extending therefrom and pivotally connected to a lever 76 pivoted intermediate its'ends to a bracket 77 on the valve housing. This lever 76 is pivotally connected at its other end to a link 78 which is pivotally connected to an arm 79 rigidly attached to a shaft 86 to which the foot pedal 60 is attached. The four-way valve 70 has a center neutral position, and thereby depression of the pedal 60 in one direction will result in propelling the frame on the track Yin one direction and pivoting of the pedal tlin the opposite direction will result in travel in the opposite direction with the pedal having an intermediate position in which the frame is stationary.

If found necessary a wheel engaging brake member 81 may be manually operated through a handle 82 to stop the unit in a desired position.

An anchor placement tool shown more particularly in FIGS. 8 and 9 is carried on the frame as shown in FIG. 2 and facilitates the placement of an anchor on the rail base 33h. The tool comprises a cylinder 85 carrying a forked member 86 at its lower end on which an anchor may be loosely placed. The cylinder 85 for substantially the upper half of its length is provided with opposed slots 87 in'the wall thereof and a pin 88 carried on a bracket 39 attached to the frame cross member 26 slidably confines the tool for up and down and pivotal movement. A spring 90 extends between the pin SS and is attached at its lower end to the lower end of the tube 85 to yieldably hold the tool in the position shown in FIG. 2. With placement of an anchor on the fork 86 an operator may then manually grasp the anchor placement tool and lower the tool from the position shown in FIG. 2 to place an anchor on the rail base 33h adjacent a tie 56 and the tool may be withdrawn leaving the anchor in place. Subsequently another machine may come along and spring the anchor into locked position on the rail.

An alternate form of anchor placement tool is shown in FIG. 10 for supporting a different type of anchor in which a three-sided enclosure 91 receives the anchor and a sweep member 92 pivoted at 93 on the body 94 of the tool may move relative to the body to hold an anchor in place on the rail while the tool and enclosure 91 are withdrawn from the anchor. As shown in FIG. l0 the sweep member 92 has been moved to a position to make certain that the anchor has left the tool. This tool is mounted on the unit in the same fashion as the tool shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

A third form of anchor placement tool is shown in FIGS. ll and 12 for handling a rail anchor 95 having a diderent shape. A block 96 is shaped to engage a part of the anchor 95 and is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 97, to a forked member 98 carried on the tool body 99. A wedge 100 normally holds the block 96 in the position shown in FIG. 12 and when the wedge is released the block 96 is free to pivot to the position shown in FIG. l1 to release the anchor. The wedge 100 is pivotally carried on a lever 101 pivoted at 102 to the body 99 and the opposite end of the lever is cormected to a manually operable link 103 slidable in a bracket 194 carried on the body 99. This tool is mounted on the unit similarly to the tool shown in FIGS. 2, 8 and 9.

An operator seated in the seat 58 may easily grasp an anchor for placement in the tool from a pan'11t) attached to the frame and shown fragmentarily in FIGS. l and 2.

To facilitate the loading of the pan 110, a boom 111 extends upwardly from the anchor setter frame and is vpivotally mounted .thereon by a bearing 112 fora swinging between a position overlying the pan 119 and a position in which the end of the boom lies to one side of the track. The boom 111 mounts a Winch 113 having a handle 114 for paying out and taking in a cable 115 passing about pulleys 116 and 117 on the boom and having a hook 118 on its free end which engages a bag of rail anchors. Operation of the handle 114 raises the bag and swing of the boom 111 permits placement of the bag of anchors on the pan 110.

A jack 120 centrally of the frame may be lowered to raise the frame off the rails for turning thereof. This is accomplished by supply of fluid to a jack cylinder 121 having a fluid line 123 extending to a manual` pump 124 with a tank line 122 from running from the pump 124.

I claim:

l. A self-contained anchor setter unit comprising, a frame having wheels supporting the frame for movement along a pair of rails, means for propelling the unit along the rails to a desired position, movable means on said frame for pushing ballast from under a rail to provide a ballast free passage of a width only sutiicient to allow the placing of an anchor and extending under and to the sides of a rail, means under the control of an operator positioned on said unit for actuating said ballast pushing means while the unit is in said position, and means on the unit for transporting a rail anchor to the base of a rail and in said passage while the unit is in said position comprising a tool movably mounted on said ,frame and having a member for releasably holding an anchor.

2. A self-contained anchor setter unit as defined in Vclaim l in which said ballastl pushing means comprises a movably mounted member having an arm of a length greater than the width of a rail base, and means mounting said member for movement in an arcuate path under the rail and terminating above the rail base at either side of the rail.

3. An anchor setter unit as defined in claim l in which said tool includes manually operable means for discharging an anchor from said tool.

4. A self-contained anchor setter unit comprising, a frame having wheels supporting the frame for movement along a pair of rails to a position, means for propelling the unit along the rails, a pusher movably vmounted on the frame for pushing ballast from under a rail to provide a passage of a width only sutlicient to allow the placing of an anchor and extending to the sides of a rail, foot pedal means under the control of an operator seated on said unit for actuating said ballast pushing means at said position, manually operable means movably mounted on the unit for transporting an anchor from a remote location to a position under the rail in said passage and in unsecured engagement with the rail, manually operable means for releasing the anchor from said transporting means when said anchor is in said position of unsecured engagement with the rail, and means for yieldably returning said transporting means to a rest position.

5. A self-contained anchor setter unit comprising, a frame having wheels supporting the frame for movement along a pair of rails, means for propelling the unit along the rails to a desired position, and manually operable means for transporting an anchor from a remote location to a position under the rail and in unsecured 5 6 engagement with the raill comprising a tool movably 231,897 Burns Sept. 7, 1880 mounted on the frame with means at the lower end 2,132,176 MCWilllamS Oct. 4, 1938 thereof for releasably holding an anchor. 2,923,253 Geier et al. Feb. 2,l 1960 6. An anchor setter unit as defined in claim 5 in which said tool includes manually operable means for discharg- 5 FOREIGN PATENTS ing au anchor from said releasableholding means. 550,508 Germany May 19, 1932 OTHER REFERENCES References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 ll'ijlyay Track and Structure, pages 23-27, February 

1. A SELF-CONTAINED ANCHOR SETTER UNIT COMPRISING, A FRAME HAVING A WHEELS SUPPORTING THE FRAME FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PAIR OF RAILS, MEANS FOR PROPELLING THE UNIT ALONG THE RAILS TO A DESIRED POSITION, MOVABLE MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR PUSHING BALLAST FROM UNDER A RAIL TO PROVIDE A BALLAST FREE PASSAGE OF A WIDTH ONLY SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW THE PLACING OF AN ANCHOR AND EXTENDING UNDER AND TO THE SIDES OF A RAIL, MEANS UNDER THE CONTROL OF AN OPERATOR POSITIONED ON SAID UNIT FOR ACTUATING SAID BALLAST PUSHING 